Pot Bill Supported by Trump Going Nowhere Fast in Congress

The cannabis bill supported by President Donald Trump does not appear to have much traction with lawmakers. So far, congressional leaders have failed to back the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced the bill in the Senate on June 7. Then the following day, Trump told reporters that he “would probably support” the STATES Act, as the bill is also known. Two months earlier, Gardner announced that he and the president had come to an agreement about cannabis and states’ rights, ending an impasse over judicial nominees.

Congressional Leaders Haven’t Yet Signed On

But despite the support from Trump for the bipartisan bill, key congressional leaders have not yet backed it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said that he supports the decriminalization of marijuana. But a spokesperson told BuzzFeed in an email that the senator hasn’t endorsed the STATES Act.

The Republican chairs of key congressional committees have also not yet backed the STATES Act. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have to approve the bill before it could